Uses

A loaf has a partial eater property: certain collisions can destroy the upper rightmost two cells (in the orientation shown in the picture), after which the remainder of the pattern will evolve into a new loaf, flipped 180°. Eater 3 is an actual eater making use of this reaction.

A similar reaction to this involves a block "eating" a loaf, similarly to how the beehives in the queen bee shuttle are removed; stabilising this can be used to construct the Baker's dozen.